Quick Graph

                      App: Quick Graph

Cost: Free

Hyperlink: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/quick-graph/id292412367?mt=8

This app is a powerful graphic calculator that shows mathematical equations in 2D or 3D.  It is simple to use and easy to edit.

Pro: Easy to enter and/or edit equations and visualize those equations.  For students in Algebra, it answers why they need to know or learn Algebra. Gives ideas of the future of their mathematical education. The images can be copied, emailed, or saved into the photo library. There can be up to 6 equations visualized simultaneously in both 2D and 3D.

Cons: Mainly for students in Algebra and above, therefore many elementary students will not have the need to use them. Now you must specify x, y, and z. Also, the dependent variable must be specified.

Using in Education: I think it would be a great tool to use in the classroom for math classes that use graphs. Helps the students to visualize the problems they are working through. Great for visual learners!

                      

CrossFingers

CrossFingers
               Cost: $0.99 (will sometimes be free)
                                                      
                 Purchase:CrossFingers


       Description

CrossFingers is a great logic game for all ages. There are levels ranging from Baby (really easy) to Pro. This game would be useful in a math classroom especially when the students are learning about Geometric shapes. If the classroom is equipped with iPads, the students can work as a group to solve some of the puzzles or individually. There are some easy puzzles but at the same time they can be pretty challenging. Essentially it is another fun way to do a virtual tangram. This game is very addicting and really helps your mind to think logically.

Pros: I think this game has a lot to offer for all students because there are multiple levels and difficulties which is also good when there are different levels of learning in the classroom. Also, the students will learn to think logically while playing this fun game.

Cons: The problem is that this app is not always free so it would be important to be on the lookout for when it is free. Also, a problem I have noticed when playing is when using multiple fingers especially during the harder levels the screen will move which pauses the game. This could be frustrating towards some.

I have tried the app Tangram XL Free and it essentially works the same as CrossFingers but it does not have as many levels or difficulties. There are a limited number of templates to use and shapes that fit the templates. If you wish to have more templates, then you would need to buy them. I would recommend CrossFingers over Tangram XL because of the variety and challenge it brings to the student.

Pages

App: Pages


Price: 9.99


Pages

Pages is the apple equivalent of Microsoft Word.  The app allows you to start with blank document or choose from one of 16 templates incliudingm business letters to invitations and thank you cards. The app boasts easily edited documents and formatting made simple while being able to type on the go with the iPad.  Pages allows you to share via email in numerous forms. 

Pros: Pages is compatible with Microsoft word and can email documents in Pages, PDF, or a Word document.  Pages also includes many similar aspects found in word and contains user-friendly editing at the tip of your finger. Formatting is made easy especially with adding pictures and charts.

Cons: Obviously it is an expensive app and that is enough to deter most people.  I have found problems with trying to add bullet points within a sequence of 1.2.3. and returning back to the number format. While Pages is compatible with Word, it occasionally will use a different font more specific with the apple brand.

I would definitely recommend this app to anyone looking to be able to type papers on the go.  I find myself starting new papers whenever i have free time because of the convenience. I think students could use this app to create artistic documents because of the easy editing and formatting with pictures.

Evernote Peek

Evernote Peek ( http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evernote-peek/id442151267?mt=8 ), an educational app released in November 2011, allows users to interactively study or review material they have stored in their Evernote notebooks.  For those of you not familiar with Evernote, there are a variety of apps stemming from the original Evernote app.  The basic Evernote app ( http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evernote/id281796108?mt=8 ) allows you to record simple notes or develop more extensive notebooks of information.  Evernote is a great note-taking app, and if you already have notebooks created in Evernote, Evernote peek provides an engaging means for studying or reviewing that material.

Designed around the iPad 2 Smart Covers, Evernote Peek utilizes the Smart Cover technology to gradually reveal a series of questions and answers.  When the first flap of the Smart Cover is lifted, a question is revealed.  When you are ready to see the answer, you simply lift the next flap of the Smart Cover to reveal the answer.  After each question and answer, you lift the entire cover to mark your answer as correct or incorrect and see your overall progress.    For users without a Smart Cover, a virtual Smart Cover can be enabled so the app can still be utilized.

Pros:  Evernote Peek is currently a free app.  It allows users to easily review material or study for an upcoming test.  Teachers can utilize Evernote Peek in the classroom to engage students in learning and allow them to more readily review selected material.  

Cons:  Individuals who do not utilize Evernote would first need to create notebooks or input information to be studied with Evernote Peek.  Also, there is a limit on how much information can be displayed within the question and answer sections of the Peek app, and there is no way to reverse the questions and answers if you would like to study in the reverse order.  However, later versions of this app may address these issues.  

Within my classroom, I could see myself utilizing this app to help my students review vocabulary, math facts, scientific facts, states and capitals, or other key concepts.  I could allow students to take turns reviewing with Evernote Peek and I could even allow students to work in partners, depending on the specific knowledge being reviewed.  Evernote Peek is an intriguing app and it has a lot of potential both inside and outside the classroom.  

Planets

App: Planets

Cost: Free

Download Here

Planets is a free application that allows you to see 5 screens with information about astronomy and the planets, based on your location. The first screen, Sky 2D, displays a compass circle which shows the visible planets. The next screen, Sky 3D, shows a 3d sky view  (as if you were looking up at a dome) with constellations. The user can rotate their point of orientation and see the placement of planets. Visibility is the screen I find most helpful. It shows you the times at which the planets are visible from Earth, including the sunrise and sunset. You can press on the individual planets and view several facts about them - from their type, radius, mass, and even a list of their moons.  The globe is, as it implies, a rotating globe that the user can change to any of the main planets and move and zoom.

Pros: Planets definitely makes it easy to help the budding astronomer to have some fast facts in their hands to explore the night sky without being an overload of information or having an overly technical presentation. I could see this tool being very useful while using a telescope, learning how to identify constellations, or learn things about the other planets. It would be a neat activity to compare the different planets based on their appearance and facts using this app because the students are able to spin the globes right at their fingertips.

Cons: At times, this app will crash on me. The Sky 2D and 3D sections can be somewhat confusing and difficult to get a hang of. But overall, the cons are very minor for the purpose of this app.

Name: 3D Brain
Hyperlink: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/3d-brain/id331399332?mt=8
Cost: FREE
Pros: This app is pretty cool! It's a 3D brain that allows the user to rotate it, zoom in, and be interactive with it. The user can select specific parts of the brain that they want to see and learn more about. It color codes the parts of the brain and also has a description of what that specific part of the brain and the functions of it. Because of the color coding, it allows the user to easily identify which parts are which. 
Cons: This app could be used in lower grade levels, but the description and function explanations would be over the students head. Other than that, there are not any con's of this app that I could find!
Use in Education: This would be a great app to use in a middle school science classroom. Allowing students to be interactive on the iPad and rotate, zoom in, and learn about the functions of the brain. As a teacher, you could hook your personal iPad up to a projection screen and show the students the parts of the brain you are learning about, instead of using a plain textbook picture.
Similar Apps: Brain Tutor 3D - This app has much smaller pictures and does not have near the same information that 3D Brain has. 

IfYoureHappy

Name: IfYoureHappy 
Hyperlink: http://iTunes.apple.com/us/app/if-youre-happy-you-know-it/id483346250?mt=8  
Cost: Lite version is free! Full version is $1.99 
Pros: This app covers a wide range of different subject areas including math, reading, phonics, and music. The app has six different sections in it. 1.) Happy Animal Train - here students see a graphic of an animal, see the spelling, here it spelt out loud, and hear the noise the animal makes. The animals represented are not just basic animal, but more interesting ones like kangaroo, gezzel, etc. 2.) The Magical Aimal Kingdom - here students hear a little story and see a picture of the animal that the story is about. The picture is in black and white and the students are able to move a magic wand over the picture which then gives it color. 3.) Puzzle - students select a scene for their puzzle, then they are able to click on an animal to construct. The animal pieces meet to be put together, which students can do by sliding the pieces together. 4.) Happy Animal Math - the students are shown animals and have to say how many they see. There are also games on the full version where students can do addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. 5.) Find the Hiding Animal - here there is an animal hidden in the trees and students need to locate the hiding animal. 6.) "If You're Happy and you Know it" - here the students can sing along to this fun children's song. 
Cons: This is geared a lot towards younger students. I think that older students (maybe even 2nd grade and up) would get bored with this one. Also, there is not very much offered on the lite version. The full version has way more variations to the games. 
Use in Education: I think this app would be a fun way for students to review a few different concepts, especially letters and math facts. It may be a good one for them to do as a privilege. I think that younger kids especially would look forward to being able to use the ap becuase it is fun, and they would also be learning too :) 
Similar Apps: The company that put this app out has a lot more fun, educational apps as well. There was a music one where kids can play the drums, xylophone, etc. There was an alphabet one. There was one that was all math facts. Again, I think these apps would all be great tools for students to use for practice.